Wendy's Writing Now

Sunday, 4 December 2016

This week's guest needs very little introduction - it is our very own Patsy Collins of Womagwriter fame. It's always a delight to welcome a fellow short story writer onto my blog and I'm even more pleased because she (along with writer Rosemary Kind) has written a new guide to writing short stories. It's called From Story Idea to Reader. With hundreds of magazine stories and competition wins under her belt, there is nobody better qualified to write a book like this and if you aren't already a short story writer and are thinking about having a go, I'd wholeheartedly recommend it (there's even a mention of my rather nifty Story Timeline in it).

So without more ado, let's start the interview.

What made you
decide to write this book?

It's all my husband's
fault! He said as I'd written articles (for Writing Magazine) about writing, a
book was the logical next step. Logical? Yes, maybe, but also huge and a bit
daunting.

I happened to mention
this to Rosemary who immediately suggested a collaboration. Fairly quickly I
realised her work as an editor and publisher plus the fact she can explain
grammar, in a way which actually makes the subject clearer, would be assets.

We soon started planning
what we'd do if we went ahead. Rosemary created a list of the topics we'd like
to cover. Alongside each were initials. Mine were against subjects such as
getting started, generating ideas, finding time, women's magazine fiction,
competitions, staying motivated, getting and using feedback, keeping submission
records... All things I knew about and was happy to tackle.

Rosemary felt the same
way about the rest, which include grammar, self publishing, tax and legal
matters associated with writing, characterisation, POV, editing, research...

As soon as we saw we
really could do it we were eager to start.

How long have
you known Rosemary?

We first met about nine
years ago on a writing forum and then a critique group. It's amazing how well
you can get to know someone through their writing, especially when you're part
of the process. We've helped each other with our short stories and novels.
Rosemary has edited some of my work and published it through her company, Alfie
Dog Fiction.

We've even met for real a
few times. On each occasion there was less cake and more dog walking involved
than you might imagine. It would appear she's a good influence.

Was it
difficult to co-write or was it all plain sailing?

Pretty much plain
sailing. In fact I wrote a few short sections on board a ferry!

I'm not saying we never
suggested that something the other had written could be improved (and other
creative ways of expressing that general sentiment) but knowing this was solely
for the good of the finished book meant I didn't mind rewriting until we were
both happy. Rosemary still replies to my emails, which I'm taking as proof she
feels the same way.

How long did
it take you to write?

That
depends how you look at it. We've both spent years building up the knowledge,
experience, articles and course materials the book is based on. But once we had
it all planned out we completed most of the new writing in around six months.
We both write full time so, although we didn't concentrate solely on this
project, that represents a lot of keyboard hours.

What can this
book offer that other writing guides can’t?

It
really does take a writer through the whole process from hunting down ideas and
the basic equipment needed, through making the work the best it can be, to
ensuring it gets read.

Between
us we have experience of being published, of editing and publishing our own
stories, and those of others. We've won, and run, and judged writing
competitions. Most of all though, we're writers. We love writing and want to
help others enjoy it too.

Did you find writing
a resource book harder than writing fiction?

Not harder, no. It's
different, just as writing a short ghost story is different from writing a
romantic novel or an article. Although it's been done
to make it more accessible to the reader, having the information broken down
into shorter sections probably helped with the writing too.

Is there
advice in it that you wish you’d followed when you first started?

All of it! But if you
want me to be specific...

The exercises would have
helped. Immediately applying something we've learned really does help retain
the information. Naturally I'm biased, but
I honestly do think many writers, particularly those just starting out or
returning to writing after a break, will find From Story Idea to Reader
useful and encouraging.

Sunday, 27 November 2016

Today, I am delighted to welcome fellow RNA New Writers' Scheme member, Chrissie Bradshaw, to my blog. Chrissie was winner of the Elizabeth Goudge Award at this year's conference with her debut novel A Jarful of Moondreams and I wanted to find out more about her road to publication.

How
long have you been writing and how did you start?

I
started writing fiction a few years ago when I was stranded in Chicago for an
extra week. Flights to Europe were being postponed due to volcanic ash and, after
I’d read all of my own books and my husband’s, I started making notes for a novel.
It was the start of an exciting new chapter in my life.

Did
you ever have self-doubts when writing your novel?

When
I’m writing, I’m happy and in the moment and time has no meaning. I love it!
When I’m reading over my efforts and planning what to change, I’m full of self
criticism and wonder whether anyone will want to read my work. I never feel
like giving up though.

Can
you tell me a little about your road to publication?

I
can be impatient, I had a good plan but didn’t stick to it. Once my novel was
finished, I intended sending a sample to three agents each month and staggering
the inevitable rejection slips. After two months, I started looking into self
publishing or ‘supported’ publishing because I wanted my contemporary novel out
there when it was fresh. I published with Octavo last July and had the
satisfaction of seeing my work published as an ebook and a paperback. I’m OK
about what I did but next time I’ll try to find a good agent.

‘A
Jarful of Moondreams’ is your debut novel. Can you describe it in one
sentence?

‘Dr Foster’ visits ‘Waterloo Road’ in A
Jarful of Moondreams as Cleo, Teri and Alex sort out their relationships with one other
and the men that they love through seven full moons.

Like
me, you are a member of the RNA NWS. How has this benefited you?

The
scheme is just brilliant for new writers. It gave me the confidence to go to
writing conferences where I could mingle with other new writers and learn from
established ones. The opportunity to hand in a manuscript and have an
experienced writer give constructive feedback is priceless.

This
year you won the Elizabeth Goudge award at the RNA conference. Well done! Can
you tell us what it felt like when your name was called?

Surreal
and so unexpected. I loved my story and it was written from the heart but I
didn’t know if anyone else would feel the same. I had to ask those around me if
I’d heard the winning title correctly. When I stood up and went to receive the
trophy from Eileen Ramsay, I felt like an Oscar winner! Everyone was so nice
afterwards too. The RNA members are a lovely bunch of people.

What
was the hardest part of writing A Jarful of Moondreams?

The
timeline of events. I made this hard for myself by planning the novel over
seven moon months. I had to make sure that I was always in sync with the 2015
moon calendar and that the ‘once in a blue moon’ moment happened at the right
time. I’m now quite an expert on the phases of the moon!

Any
plans for a second novel?

I’m
in the middle of ‘The one about Heather and Erin’ This is my working title and
any title suggestions would be welcome. Heather is Cleo’s best friend and,
after her minor part in ‘A Jarful of Moondreams’, she demanded her own story.
Erin, an aspiring actress, is Heather’s younger sister and wanted a leading
role too. Their lives are full of drama and they are finding the road to love a
rocky one.

Do
you have any tips to pass on to other writers?

There
is never an ideal time to write so grab the moments that you can spare. Meet
other writers by going to conferences or joining a writing association. My RNA
friends keep me going and they understand the ups and downs and the absolute
wonder of writing.

Chrissie Bradshaw lives by the Northumbrian coast with her
family and loves taking her dog for a daily run along the seashore. Her other
feel good essentials are tea, chocolate and a good book. A career in education,
as a teacher then as a literary consultant, has given her the chance to share
her passion for reading with young people. She believes that there are books to
suit every taste and loves match-making a book with a reader. While undergoing
treatment for cancer, Chrissie listed the things she wanted to do. (She is very
good at lists but not so good at carrying them out!) Top of this list was believe in your writing and make time for
it. She did. Three years later, she has one novel published, she has won the
Elizabeth Goudge award 2016 from the RNA and she is writing her second novel.

Blurb
for ‘ A Jarful of Moondreams

Sparring
sisters, deception, family secrets and reawakened love means that trouble and
change is in the air for Cleo Moon and her family. Cleofinds that losing
control of your life and losing out in love is tough when you have always
strived for success. Alex hates the crazy idea that she should be uprooted from
her home and friends to live with her selfish older sister for the whole summer.
Teri is desperate for her two daughters to bond but worries that she has left
it too late. The family ‘Moondream’ jar, an Egyptian urn that has held their
wishes for many years, provides links to the past and we discover which of the
many wishes that it holds can be fulfilled.

Sunday, 20 November 2016

Just a short post this week in the lull between guests. November has been an interesting month. I'd been going through a bit of an, 'I'll never be able to write anything again' stage but perked up no end when, as well as sales to The People's Friend, I sold two to Take a Break Fiction Feast and two to Woman's Weekly (the only two I've sent in over a year).There have also been a flurry of publications - they've been a bit like buses. This week, I have one in The People's Friend Weekly and three in The People's Friend Fiction Special... I'm certainly not complaining though.

Also, I was very excited to find out that The Friend had made an audio recording of my story The Artist's Apprentice which you can listen to here.

In other news, I went to the Romantic Novelists' Association Winter Party last week. For someone who doesn't like big gatherings, I had a lovely time. I spoke to as many people as I could and made an effort to talk to some writers I'd never met before. Everyone was unbelievable friendly but the noise was unbelievable!

And that's all for now... I'm off on a mini-break in the New Forest but I'll see you next week when I'll have a new guest taking the spotlight. Hope you'll join us.

Sunday, 13 November 2016

Please give a warm welcome to this week's guest in the spotlight, Gill Stewart. When Gill asked if I would be interested in a blog post on writing cross genre, my answer was a resounding 'yes'. Writing across genres has always interested me and having recently published the third in a YA mystery/romance, Gill is a bit of an expert.

Over to you, Gill.

This month my third Young Adult mystery/romance, No More Lies,
was published. This is the final book in a trilogy following the story of
George and Finn’s growing romance, but in each book there is always at least
one mystery to be solved. I didn’t set out particularly to write romance or mystery, and definitely not both! It’s
just that the first book developed that way and the others naturally followed
on.

By the time I came to writing Young Adult, I was already
published in two genres – sweet romance (as Gillian Villiers) and women’s
contemporary fiction (as Gilly Stewart). So what made me venture into this new
arena? Firstly it was because I’ve always loved reading YA. And when I think
back to some of the favourites, they often feature either romance or some kind
of mystery to be solved – or both. Think Anne
Of The Island crossed with Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkeban; that would pretty much be my perfect
book!

So, although these thoughts weren’t conscious, they must
have been there at the back of my mind. Music and Liesstarted first and
foremost with the setting: a rather wild music festival. I’d found myself at an
off-beat music festival as the (unwilling) responsible adult for 3
thirteen-year-old boys. The lack of willingness was on both sides – I wasn’t
sure I wanted to be there and the boys definitelydidn’t want me around! We came to an
uneasy truce where I sort-of kept them in sight and they pretended to ignore me
completely.

The festival was in the depths of a forest, with almost no
mobile signal, and the feel that a great deal of illicit substances were being
consumed. What would it be like, I wondered, if a girl a little older than
these boys found herself at such a festival, unsupervised? And the idea of
George going to the Forest Fest was born. The other characters gradually came
to life – Finn, the strange, reserved boy who George becomes more and more
attracted to. So it was going to be a romance! And then the knowledge that
there were crimes taking place, that both George and Finn were keen to solve,
although for different reasons. Ah, so this was going to be a mystery, too, was
it?

Once I had this template in mind, it was easy enough to
move on to the second book, Bright Lights and Lies. I definitely wanted
to continue developing the relationship between George and Finn and by moving
the story to a big city – Glasgow – I could incorporate the story of a sleazy
journalist, homeless people and George’s favourite band. For the final book, No More Lies, the location
changes again, this time to the Scottish Highlands, in winter. For once it
seems that things really will go smoothly for George and Finn, until Finn
learns the truth about his own past, and mysterious stray dogs begin to turn up
on the doorstep. Yes, we have another mystery waiting to be solved!

There are definitely some advantages to writing
cross-genre:

As someone who occasionally struggles to have enough
‘plot’, I now had plenty!

It was easy to vary the pace of the book by moving from
one strand of the story to another.

I had 2 hooks on which to hang the marketing: both romance
and mystery.

But on the other hand there were definite disadvantages:

I had to make sure that both strands were given sufficient
prominence, but that neither overshadowed the other

I had to make sure I didn’t ‘lose’ one of the threads at
certain points

The mysteries required a great deal of research

How would I market this: as a romance or as a mystery?

Would I do this again? Yes! But next time I will Do More Advance Planning. As a typical
‘pantster’ writer, I was going into the mist and really not knowing what was
going to happen next. This meant that when I had reached the end I had to do a lot of editing. If I had planned
better I could have saved a lot of time.

Despite the challenges, I’ve loved delving into 2 genres
at once, and would definitely recommend it to anyone else who is looking for a
new challenge, and a bit of fun.

Finn
is not happy when dippy Aunt Lulu drags him off to spend Christmas on a
community farm in the Scottish Highlands. Things look up when his girlfriend
George joins them, though. Finn needs to start making some decisions about his
life, but when abandoned dogs turn up on the doorstep, and Aunt Lulu starts
revealing uncomfortable truths, it all gets a bit overwhelming …

George
can’t sort out what is going on with her and Finn, so she concentrates on
getting to the bottom of the mystery dogs. Impulsive and unpredictable as
always, her actions lead her and Finn into danger once again.

No more lies: it's time for
George and Finn to tell the truth about their feelings and move forward. But
will that be together or apart?

Sunday, 6 November 2016

Today, I am delighted to welcome fellow magazine writer and author, Kate Blackadder, to the November spotlight. If you're anything like me, you might have started thinking just a teeny weensy bit about the seasonal 'C' word. With her new book 'Stella's Christmas Wish' just out, I asked Kate to tell us what she'll be wishing for this year.

Six days before Christmas a family crisis
brings Stella home from London to the Scottish Borders and the man she left
behind. Christmas is the last thing she’s thinking about but as the day draws
nearer it begins to work its magic ...

These are a few of my
favourite Christmas things (and some of Stella’s):

Carols

I can’t sing for toffee but
that doesn’t stop me … I love them all
but am particularly fond of O Little Town
of Bethlehem <hums tune to herself>

Earrings

I have some Christmas tree earrings which I love. I’ve had them for about 20 years. At a Christmas Eve party when Stella
first got together with Ross she wore a dark red dress and fluffy snowball
earrings.

Jumpers

Stella wears a silvery-green
one with stars but my favourite has a Christmas pud on it – and my daughter
inside it.

Food

There’s always smoked salmon
with blinis (I made them from scratch one year). If we have the traditional
turkey fest for me it’s got to include red cabbage and roast parsnips. When
there are chocolates on the go no one else likes the coconut ones so, yippee, I
get all of those, but we fight over anything that can be described as ‘solid
chocolate’.

A friend painted a glass ball
for me which I love. Stella’s granny has a collection of antique baubles with
scenes of the nativity inside, but it’s the fairy on top of the tree – and her
magic wand – that has special meaning for Stella.

Memories

My mum and dad gave me a
girl’s annual every year; I always had them read from cover to cover well before
breakfast. They inspired me to collect annuals – I have around 350 now.

More recently, I loved waking
up early on Christmas morning just before the scampering of feet along the
corridor heralded excited children clutching stockings. These days they still
get stockings and there’s still a bit of excitement but no scampering.

Books

Every Christmas Eve I read The Night Before Christmas aloud to
anyone who’ll listen. When my offspring were younger I read them A Christmas Carol most years and two
terrific books by Paul Theroux, perfect for any age, A Christmas Cardhttp://amzn.to/2ejr62N

As a family we are positively
addicted to It’s a Wonderful Life. We
have a DVD of it but that doesn’t stop us watching it when it’s on television
or, joy of joys, when it’s shown at a local cinema in the run-up to Christmas.

My daughter and I (and
Stella) love a slushy romantic movie on a winter’s afternoon, watching with a
mug of hot chocolate and some Christmas baking to hand. My favourite is The Holiday with, amongst a starry cast,
Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Rufus Sewell. It’s set in gorgeous (if
impossibly snowy) Surrey and glamorous Los Angeles.

Perhaps one day we’ll settle
down to watch a film version of Stella’s
Christmas Wish (I wish … ).

About Kate Blackadder

I live in Edinburgh with a
view of the Castle. I’ve had around fifty short stories published and three
magazine serials. Two serials The Family
at FarrshoremyBook.to/Farrshore and The Ferryboat myBook.to/Ferryboat are
available in large-print library editions and on Kindle. Stella’s Christmas Wish,myBook.to/Stella set in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders, is my
first full-length novel. I blog at http://katewritesandreads.blogspot.co.uk/ and can be found on Twitter @k_blackadder and https://www.facebook.com/KateBlackadderAuthor

Thank you, Kate. Now over to my lovely readers. What's your favourite part of Christmas?

Sunday, 30 October 2016

Sometimes you come across someone for whom you have great admiration. In my case it is writer, Julie Day, this week's guest in the spotlight. The reason for my admiration is Julie's fabulous motivation and work ethic. When she's not writing a children's book, she's trying her hand at womag stories or pocket novels. And when she's not doing any of these she's helping other people with their writing or helping them publish their books. She puts me to shame!This is not all though. Julie is a writer with Asperger Syndrome and I invited her onto my blog to answer some questions about how this has affected her writing career.First of all, a very big welcome to my blog, Julie. My first question is what made you decide to start writing?

A recurring dream. I had a dream two
nights in a row which stuck in my mind. The only way to get it out was to write
it down. Once I started writing, the ideas came to me. I've been writing on and
off since.

I know you enjoy writing in a variety of genres.
Do you have a favourite?

Writing for children. I can have fun, let
my imagination go and not be too serious about what I write.

As a writer with Asperger’s, what has been
your biggest challenge when writing fiction?

Going to talks and meeting new people. I
get anxious when I meet new people and have to introduce myself to a group.

Going to literary events can be quite
daunting at the best of times. I met you at the RNA conference in 2015. How did
you find the experience?

Interesting, but full-on and tiring. I now
find that I can't do weekend conferences where I am going from one talk to
another and meeting people. Also, I've never been able to sleep in a strange
bed properly, so am tired throughout the whole time.

Can you tell me a little more about the series of books you’re writing?

This series is not
just for children with Asperger’s Syndrome, it is also for their friends and
family. The series covers friendship, school and the difficulties a child with
Asperger’s faces, with a positive approach which helps readers to understand
the disorder.It will also cover how
going out into the world and facing those challenges affects children with
Asperger's.

You are very active on social media. How
beneficial has this been to you and your writing?

Very beneficial. I have made connections
with other women who have Asperger's, as well as connecting with other indie
authors. I have joined author groups on Facebook who have helped me promote my
books.

You also help new authors to publish their
work as e-books. Can you tell us a little about it?

It started with doing talks at a library
about being an indie author. One man joined the attendees and later asked me to
help him with his fiction. I found I enjoyed helping him, that when someone
else at the library said they wanted help, I said I would. I helped the man
publish his first children's book in July. I have also been in contact with a
couple of other children's authors, giving my opinion on their book ideas.

What has been your biggest writing
achievement?

Publishing my first children's ebook 'The
Railway Angel'. The sense of achievement when I managed to do the formatting
myself then publish it was great. I enjoyed having control over the whole
publishing process that I decided I wanted to stay being an indie author.

How important is it to raise awareness of
Asperger’s?

Very important. I know there are lots of
other disabilities, but Asperger's is considered a hidden/invisible disability
where the person might look normal on the outside but not so inside. So, you
might come across a child or adult with Asperger's and not know it. Aspies have
lots of challenges with communication, and understanding how they can cope with
them will help us not feel so anxious.

Do you have any advice for other writers
with Asperger’s?

Blog about Asperger's. Enjoy what you
write. Don't be afraid to join groups on-line and off-line. Don't be afraid to
meet other writers. Don't be afraid to tell them you have Asperger's. I did,
and people were understanding.

Sunday, 23 October 2016

In just over a week's time it will be Halloween. To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of this celebration and even when my children were young, we were never ones for Halloween parties or trick-or-treating.What I do like, though, is writing and reading ghost stories and this week I've been getting in the mood for all things ghostly, having just judged the Rosemary Robb Ghost Story Competition for the Nottingham Writers Club. I was asked to be adjudicator after the organiser had read one of my blog posts in which I explained how I'd crafted the ghost story that had just been published in Take a Break Fiction feast.If you'd like to read the post, it's called, Ghost stories don't need to be scary.

There's been some talk on Facebook recently about the importance of selecting the right judge for a particular competition. I agree that matching a judge to the genre is crucial. If I was asked to read a selection of play-scripts or crime novels, I might know which one I liked best but I would find it hard to explain why I thought the entry worthy of being the winner. Why? Because I wouldn't know the craft of that particular type of writing. Equally, I would be in no position to explain why the entries that had not won, had fallen short of their mark. On the other hand, short stories in general, romances and magazine stories are things I know about and have had success with. This is why I have been happy to adjudicate stories in these areas - thank you to the Chiltern Writers' Group and the SWWJfor asking me. If you haven't already read my post on being invited to hand out the prizes at the the SWWJ Christmas tea alongside Sir Tim Rice, you can read it here.

So why did I say yes to judging the ghost story competition? It was because, as I said earlier, I love reading a good ghost story but more importantly because I have had success writing them myself otherwise I wouldn't have agreed. I've written eight to date - one that was long-listed for the BBC Opening Lines Competition and the others published in magazines (I even had the honour of writing The People's Friend Magazine's first ghost story).

And that's what I want to talk about today... writing a winning ghost story.Of course, as with any competition or magazine submission, the judging is subjective to a great extent. Every adjudicator or editor will have a different idea of what they like in a ghost story. Some may like them to be chilling, others might prefer them to to be heartwarming, romantic or humorous. Whatever the judges preference, they will be looking for a well-crafted story that pleases.Ghost stories fall into three categories:

One where the narrator of the story is the ghost.

One where the narrator of the story is being haunted.

One where there is no ghost at all (there is a rational explanation for any ghostly happenings).

For my own part, apart from the competition listing, all my stories have had a ghost that's been a subtle presence rather than an 'in your face' apparition. More often than not, the ghostly character hasn't been revealed to the reader (or the main character) until the end of the story. See my ghost story breakdown here. That is how I like my ghost stories but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy one that is crafted a different way.

Whatever type of ghost story you decide to write, there is one rule that needs to be followed to make it work. THERE MUST BE A REASON WHY THE GHOST IS HAUNTING. Sorry to shout that but it's really important.

The ghost might have had a problem in his/her past life that needs to be resolved (which can usually only be done through the main character).

or

The person being haunted has a problem which the ghost can help with.

Whichever you decide on, the reader must believe the problem is important enough for the ghost to be there otherwise the story will seem unbelievable and the judge won't want to turn to the next page.

The next thing to think about is the setting. What first comes to mind might be churchyards... old houses... a dark wood at night. Of course, these can lend atmosphere to a ghost story but your setting doesn't have to be dark and Gothic; an ordinary setting can work just as well. Why? Because the reader is more likely to be taken in by it. Settings of my own ghost stories have included: a sailing boat, an underground station, a school, a beach and a street like the one you might live in. Think of an ordinary setting and see how you could make it work.

What about the ghost itself? They can be sinister or benign. Both work. I've even read a story where the ghost had been an animal or an inanimate object. Whoever, or whatever, your ghost is, remember to flesh them out (if that's possible with an apparition!) as you would any other character. Give your ghost personality, and emotions that can be recognised, and help the reader to picture them. Whether the ghost appears to be human or is just a shadowy spirit the reader will want to know if they are angry, sad, lonely or amused? These are all things to think about.The final thing I want to talk about regarding ghost stories is tension. If your story is a spine-tingler, be sure to build up the tension gradually. Don't tell the reader what is happening straight away - let them fill in the details. Drop in hints that all is not what it seems along the way. If you don't, you will lesson the impact at the end of your story. There will be no surprises and the judge/editor will say, "Okay, but I knew that anyway." Do you have any fears? If so, use them. I'll guarantee they'll be more believable than ones you've made up.

You've thought about all these things and have written a fabulous wining ghost story. Right? Well, not necessarily. At the end of the day, your ghost story is just that... a short story. You mustn't forget the fundamentals of any story. Pace, story arc, a clear beginning middle and end, technicalities such as grammar, punctuation and dialogue and thoughtful word choices are all very important, as is a professionally presented manuscript.

You can read what I look for as a competition judge here.So there you have it. If you're thinking of having a go at writing a ghost story, I highly recommend this book by Kath McGurl. It's called Ghost Stories and How to Write them. Go on, have a go... whooooo!

About Me

When the school where I taught closed down, I knew it was time for a change. So what did I do? I set out on a new adventure as a writer by completing two writing courses. Since then, I have had my writing long and short listed in competitions, have written two serials and over a hundred stories for national magazines. I also write articles for Writing Magazine and have just finished my debut novel.